1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless communication, and more particularly, to allocating timeslots in a Multiple Users Reusing One Slot (MUROS) environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent advancement in digital mobile communication, various approaches have been developed to allow multiple communication devices to reuse a single timeslot in a frame, which is commonly referred to as Multiple Users Reusing One Slot (MUROS) technology.
For example, MUROS technology allows pairing of two or more communication devices (e.g., up to four) to use one timeslot to transmit or receive voice signals in Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) wireless systems. Theoretically, MUROS technology enhances a cell capacity by pairing the two or more communication devices onto a single timeslot. That is, MUROS can at least double voice capacity of the wireless network without requiring additional transmit and receive radio resources.
Communication devices in a cell should be paired onto a single timeslot in such a way that link quality of any one of the paired communication devices does not see a drastic degradation. For example, if upon pairing, the link quality sees a sudden degradation, calls associated with the paired communication devices may get dropped. The link quality of the communication devices that are paired mainly depends on a Bit Error Rate (BER) and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) characteristics of the communication devices.
MUROS capable mobile terminals typically see different interference profiles in uplink and downlink. Consequently, the uplink and downlink pairing scenarios should be considered separately.